Update On GOP Women

Five states held their primaries yesterday, with 26 congressional districts at stake, and guess what? Women came up empty, 0-for-26, in the GOP primaries.

We're nowmore than half-way through the primaries, with 251 districts down and 184 to go. A grand total of 24 women have been crowned as the Republican nominee. Another district, TX-34, has a runoff between two women, so that's 25, and another district, TX-14, has one woman in a runoff.

In the states that have held their primaries, there are currently 10 incumbent women Republicans. One is retiring, and one was defeated in her primary. The other 8 incumbents have won their primaries -- but not all are sure things to win re-election in November.

Another 12 of the GOP women nominees are in safe Democratic districts, and -- at least at this juncture -- appear to have no serious chance at winning.

That leaves 5 or 6 potential new Republican additions to the US House. One, Susan Brooks of Indiana, should win. Jackie Walorski, also of Indiana, is considered a slight favorite to win her election. If Felicia Harris wins her runoff in Texas -- a big if, as she finished a pretty distant second -- she would probably win in November. Kim Vann is a slight underdog in California; Janice Arnold-Jonesis a significant underdog in New Mexico; and the winner of the Adele Garza-Jessica Bradshaw runoff in Texas would also be a longshot.

By comparison, Democrats have nominated 71 women in those 251 districts -- 28 incumbents and 43 potential new congresswomen -- with another 5 in runoffs.

Most of those Democratic challengers are in very tough districts, and women are not doing particularly well getting Democratic nominations in districts where a Democrat is retiring, or a pickup is likely thanks to redistricting. But there are a few examples where that's happening -- and definitely more than it's happening on the GOP side.